CLYPSO & Kwame make absolute magic on ‘Middle Ground’

CLYPSO has been on a non-stop quest to make sure you remember her name. After the freeing and bumping ‘YOLO’ last year which was followed by ‘Save Me’, she’s come through with the goods once again with ‘Middle Ground’, which might just be her most realised song to date. After everything she’s given us, ‘Middle Ground’ is as party-ready as it is thought-provoking. She’s toeing that precarious line between holiday-ready production and the struggle described in her lyrical content, and doing so with ease, flair and finesse. Chuck KWAME in the mix, and we’ve got a certified banger you’ll be blasting for months to come.

As always, CLYPSO has made sure her production is crisp, meticulous and no detail has been left untouched. ‘Middle Ground’ is one of those rare gems where you can hear each layer clearly, despite it still being combined to make a sun-drenched bop. Her vocal delivery is reminiscent of Santigold or M.I.A., and CLYPSO has made sure that her summery voice and wavy bassline melt together perfectly.

Kwame‘s verse only asserts his acclaim of one of our country’s greatest up-and-coming rappers. It’s relentless and energetic as he spits at such a speed it can be hard to keep up. CLYPSO meets him bar for bar though, as her production enters an exhilarating tempo with stuttering synths only adding to Kwame‘s rapid-fire verse.

Of the song, CLYPSO describes how Kwame was the only fit she’d accept for the rap. “While making the track I came up with a funky instrumental in the middle and I imagined an Andre 3000 style verse that would go frenetically with the hi-hats,” she said. “I knew there was only one person I wanted to feature on it and asked Kwame.

‘Middle Ground’ is a fruity and delicious cocktail, served by CLYPSO and Kwame, that goes down easy but still packs a mighty punch. As the lyrics go back and forth, the production takes us straight on vacation. CLYPSO‘s meticulousness and attention to detail coupled with her breezy voice and Kwame‘s scorching verse, it’s clear that she knows no middle ground – she only sees the top.